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Arsenal star with uncertain future claims he wants to stay at Emirates ‘long-term’

Joel Campbell hasn’t looked entirely convincing in an Arsenal shirt so far, but the Costa Rican insists he sees his long-term future at the Emirates, as reported by IBT.

Campbell was hugely impressive during the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, prompting Arsene Wenger to keep him at Arsenal to give him a chance. He hasn’t shown any signs that he’s of the calibre required to succeed at a club of this size however, and has only really been given a chance due to a massive number of injuries.

He is seemingly convinced that he has what it takes though, and claims he is determined to remain in North London and fight for a regular starting spot.

“No [I didn’t want to move in the summer]. I’m here at Arsenal, I am very happy. I keep fighting for my dream and I think I still have a long-term future here,” he said.

“Obviously a player always wants to play but in a team which has so many quality players like Arsenal, you need to be patient and taking the chance when it arrives.”

He was then asked whether he could hold onto a starting spot when our plethora of injured stars return, but he didn’t seem confident about his chances.

“I try to do my best and then the manager will decide who plays. I am trying to take the opportunity but then the manager has to assess how I’m doing.

“I’m happy [for having played again against Tottenham] but we wanted to win. I’m still working and trying to seize the opportunities that the boss is giving me. Every opportunity is invaluable to me and I am trying to give my best.”

It seems unlikely that he will keep his starting berth when the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain return, and the draw against Tottenham may end up being Campbell’s last start in quite some time. With the international break ahead of us, everyone is hopeful that we’ll see a number of key players return to the squad.

Campbell may be keen to remain at Arsenal long-term, but when everyone is fit he should be nowhere near the team. He would need to improve drastically in order to change that, and it’s really hard to see him remaining at club far beyond this season.